Tine for harvester

Abstract

A tine for agricultural harvesters such as supported on a rotating component for conveying stalks with the tine being a one piece structure having a leg or tine portion and a supporting base or eyelet portion, the tine receives a lateral load from one side and the eyelet is slotted at the opposite side with an enlargement at the slot accommodating the passage of a bolt extending radially to attach to a support, a semi-cylindrical boss extending axially on the projection at the side of the leg and extending into a semi-circular recess and held therein by the bolt for providing support for the tine unit.

I claim as my invention: 
     
       1. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks, comprising in combination: a unitary tine structure having a radially extending leg portion at one end and having a support eyelet portion at the other end;   said leg portion adapted to engage a lateral load at a first side of the leg portion;   said eyelet portion having an inner cylindrical surface for mounting on a supporting shaft;   said eyelet portion having a slot at a side opposite said first side of the tine with said slot dividing the eyelet into a long eyelet portion and a shorter eyelet portion;   a bridging projection on a free end of said long portion having a radially projecting boss;   and a recess on the shorter portion positioned to receive the boss in an installed condition of the tine for transferring load stresses occurring to the leg to the supporting shaft and for locking the eyelet portion onto the shaft to support the tine.   
     
     
       2. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks constructed in accordance with claim 1: wherein said bridging projection is integral with the long portion and extends to overlap the shorter portion.   
     
     
       3. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks constructed in accordance with claim 1: wherein said boss extends radially into said recess and has an axial width corresponding to the width of said eyelet portion;   and means defining a recess in said shorter portion in alignment for receiving said boss.   
     
     
       4. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks constructed in accordance with claim 3: wherein said boss and said recess are in surface engagemet.   
     
     
       5. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks constructed in accordance with claim 4: wherein said boss has a semi-cylindrical shape and projects into the recess having a semi-cylindrical shape.   
     
     
       6. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks constructed in accordance with claim 1: including a cylindrical support member;   a radially extending opening through said eyelet portion;   and a bolt extending through said radial opening and threaded into the supporting shaft so that the threads of the bolt are protected from the environment within the supporting member.   
     
     
       7. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks constructed in accordance with claim 6: wherein the opening in the eyelet portion is larger than the threaded portion in said supporting shaft;   and a bolt threaded into the support shaft for aiding in preventing rotation on the tine structure on the support member.   
     
     
       8. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as for rotating parts for conveying stalks constructed in accordance with claim 7: wherein the bolt extends into the eyelet in a circumferential location opposite said first side of the leg portion.   
     
     
       9. A tine structure for agricultural harvesters such as rotating parts for conveying stalks comprising in combination: a one piece tine structure having a radially extending leg with an integral supporting eyelet at the base of the leg;   said eyelet having a cylindrical inner surface;   a cylindrical support member extending axially through the eyelet;   said leg adapted to receive a lateral load at one side in a first direction;   a separation in said eyelet at a side of the leg opposite said load dividing the eyelet into a long section and a short section;   said long section having an enlargement projection overhanging the short section;   a radially extending opening through the projection;   a bolt extending through said radially extending opening threaded into the support member;   an overhang portion extending from the long portion to the short portion and having a radial boss with a male curved surface extending axially along the eyelet;   and a recess in the short eyelet portion being complementary shaped to the boss, said bolt pressing the boss into said recess.   
     
     
       10. A tine structure for agricultural harvester such as rotating parts for conveying stalks comprising in combination: a one piece tine structure having a radially extending leg with an integral supporting eyelet at the base of the leg;   said eyelet having a cylindrical inner surface;   a split in said eyelet providing a long eyelet portion and a short eyelet portion;   a bridging part on the long eyelet portion providing a cam surface shaped to tighten the eyelet around a cylindrical support shaft;   said cam portion shaped so that a lateral force on the extending leg causes the eyelet to tighten around the cylindrical support shaft strengthening the mounting of the eyelet on the shaft as a function of the load on the leg of the tine;   and a bolt extending radially relative to the cylindrical surface of the eyelet and passing through said supporting eyelet of the tine structure.